Homes for Sonoma Unveils First Cottage Created For Fire Survivors

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Homes for Sonoma today announced the arrival of the first modular cottage for a new community for those displaced by the 2017 wildfires.

At an open house on Thursday, October 4, the volunteer-led Homes for Sonoma organization will welcome Congressman Mike Thompson, Town of Windsor Mayor Bruce Okrepkie, fire survivors and donors to tour the cottage and discuss the ongoing need for affordable, temporary housing in Sonoma County a year after the wildfires destroyed over 5,000 homes.

Designed with a full-size bedroom and bathroom, efficient modern kitchens, covered porches, and decks, each 480-square-foot cottage will be ready to move in with a suite of appliances. The first five of these homes will be installed at 6127 Old Redwood Highway with residents impacted by the fires expected to move in by the end of the month. 

"Homes for Sonoma is doing an incredible job addressing the need for affordable housing in our region. Its problem-solving approach is putting fire survivors back in homes they can afford and moving our community along the path of recovery. I am proud to celebrate its hard work today," said Congressman Mike Thompson, representing California's Fifth District.

Homes for Sonoma will continue to seek out potential future community sites and donors to meet the ongoing housing needs in order to maintain the vibrancy and diversity of Sonoma County. They will also collaborate with like-minded non-profits in Sonoma County. Two of their Sonoma Cottages will be donated to the Habitat for Humanity Medtronic housing site in Fountaingrove for fire survivors.  

A volunteer-led effort, Homes for Sonoma saw a critical need, and collaborated with architects, local business and governing offices with a vision to construct small neighborhoods of compact cottages for fire-affected families and individuals in desperate need of affordable housing.

"This cottage is the realization of a dream - a goal to help our community rebuild and provide for our neighbors who need affordable, high-quality housing," said Aaron Jobson, Executive Committee, Homes for Sonoma and Principal, Quattrocchi Kwok Architects. "We are grateful to the philanthropic support we received from our donors and the Town of Windsor for developing zoning policies that allowed for this innovative solution. Together we have made this first community a reality and provided much needed housing and stability to those impacted by the wildfires."

The high-quality, cost-effective homes just received an American Institute of Architects Design Award in the category of social responsibility. They are being constructed by Wolf Industries in Battleground, WA and trucked to California after completion. This allows for speed of construction while mitigating the challenge of limited natural resources and building materials across Sonoma County. The homes will be available to residents for one to three years, and then can be relocated and repurposed as Accessory Dwelling Units (Granny Units).  

Major donors include the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation, Hamel Family Foundation Fogerty Fund, Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, North Bay Fire Relief Fund, Rise Up Sonoma, Albertson's Foundation, Lowe's Home Improvement, Rebuilding Together Petaluma, Burbank Housing, and the Commercial Interior Design Association.

The executive committee, who donated their time, include Samantha Kraesig from Flight, Dan Blake from the Sonoma County Office of Education, Aaron Jobson from QKA, Jane Hamilton from Rebuild Together Petuluma, Caroline Shaw from Jackson Family Wines and Efren Carrillo from Burbank Housing.

About Homes for Sonoma
Homes for Sonoma is a community-based approach to disaster housing. Their goal is to create temporary housing that also addresses long term housing problems. The neighborhoods are designed to create safe, accessible and sustainable housing for those displaced by the fires and to provide a better option than traditional emergency housing. This will help families stay in Sonoma County communities, which in turn will stabilize enrollments in schools, keep the local workforce intact, and maintain the vibrancy and diversity of the region. After the recovery, Homes for Sonoma cottages will remain a part of the community and help address the region's long-term need for temporary housing. Visit homesforsonoma.org to learn more.

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SOURCE Homes for Sonoma